Eleven

"You really must learn to control yourself, Eko. I am running out of furniture. How will I explain this to my father?"

Eko's frills push back on her head and Iza sighs.

"I am not angry," she assures her dragon, her shoulders slumping forward with a sigh. "I am concerned. I do not understand why this continues to happen."

Except – well, she does almost understand. Eko is young and rambunctious and playful, but she is also very easily startled by her own antics. It would be adorable if it was not so shockingly destructive.

Iza has been trying to work with Eko on this, an effort that is mostly spurred by fact the that Chieftain's longhouse is sustaining an amazing amount of damage from such a small creature. Iza is glad that the raiding season will continue through the summer months until the autumn, because at least she stands a slight chance of replacing some of the damaged items. She might have to wheedle Jakob into helping, but her cousin is easily bribed and has never made a habit of asking too many questions.

Of course, Jakob might start asking questions when Iza's favors change from new tables, chests, and bowls, to replacing the flooring and half of the stones around the hearth. There is a decidedly stark difference in replacing furniture and replacing the actual structure of the house.

At that thought, Iza favors Eko with a narrow-eye glance. "How do we make this stop?" she asks the dragon.

Eko's wings, which are normally pinned to her back, flutter slightly. It almost looks like a shrug, if dragons could shrug. And although the dragon cannot mentally – or otherwise – verbalize it, a breezy notion floats through Iza's head. Eko feels badly for her continued destruction; and if she could do something about it, she would.

But Eko is still a baby. And as Iza has observed from the harassed mothers in the village, babies cannot be held responsible for their actions. Remembering this is something of a comfort to Iza, who is feeling more and more uncharacteristically flustered by each new challenge Eko presents her with – whether that is Eko's intention or not.

Still, she cannot help but to hope that dragons age faster than humans. It would be nice if all the skills and knowledge hidden within the instincts of Eko's being would come forth along with her maturity, and the faster the better. Except, Iza amends with chagrin, not too fast, because she still has no idea how to hide a fully grown dragon in a village that loathes the creatures.

Feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders, Iza releases a long, drawn-out sigh. There always seems to be something else.

At her feet, Eko noses at the half-crumbled stone that had fallen from the hearth only minutes before. Her tiny, dark tongue pokes out to taste the ash on the stone, once and then twice before the dragon rears back and makes a noise that is nearly a sneeze. Iza watches all of this with a certain impassive air, almost waiting for the next disaster to strike.

Which is exactly why she does not jolt when three raps sound against the door of the longhouse – even beneath the momentary panic that someone would see her dragon, a much larger part of Iza is braced for this very occurrence. Her shoulders tense before she manages to unclench her jaw and send Eko a pointed look with narrowed eyes. Iza turns toward the door, confident that Eko will hide herself, and gives herself a moment to paste on a mild expression.

But then the door is opening from the other side and Iza registers that Eko is still halfway between the living area and Iza's sleeping area – and Iza is not ready –

Then she sees who has the audacity to open the Chieftain's door.

Iza feels herself visibly deflate at the sight of Alise bouncing on the balls of her feet with a basket of laundry in her arms. Alise's eyes, which are round and always seem to see too much, barely even blink when she catches a glimpse of Eko over Iza's shoulder as she makes her way into the longhouse.

"Oh," Alise says with a tiny smile. "Is that what a baby dragon looks like? Much cuter than our infants."

Iza hurries to close the door behind Alise, hissing at her back to be quiet, for Odin's sake!

Alise waves her concern away as unbothered as she does anything, sparing Eko one more curious glance before turning to Iza and saying, "Today is washing day. You are late, so I have come to you. It's a nice change of pace. I saw Jaspar at the docks on the way, which makes me think perhaps I should visit you more often. He is more blond in the sun. I always forget…Iza…?"

"Yes?"

Alise stares at her, brow knit in concern. "Why are you just standing there? We need to get going. The sun will not last all day today and we must be back long before the sun sets behind the mountain."

Iza had not realized she was staring at Alise in stupefaction, but she cannot say she is surprised that is the case. Only Alise, she thinks, would be as cool-headed about being within ten feet of a dragon, baby or not. After a moment, it occurs to Iza that Alise was perhaps more prepared for this meeting than anyone else in the room – undoubtedly the Norns themselves are to thank for that. Perhaps even Frigg has had a hand in weaving this moment.

Iza should be less surprised than she is.

And that is why she moves without thinking, picking her way around Eko's debris to gather her laundry and mending and the soaps she has been meaning to pass along to Alise. After a moment, Eko begins to follow at Iza's heels, sticking close but still sparing several long curious looks at Alise from behind Iza's ankles.

"Her eyes are like yours," Alise comments to fill the silence. "How odd. You could pass for her mother, you know. You share many features."

"Save the scales."

"Well, yes," Alise agrees lightly. Alise's too-seeing eyes rove over the longhouse from where she stands near the closed door. "Is all of this from the dragon?"

"Eko," Iza corrects quietly.

Hearing her name, Eko's head tilts and her two-toned eyes dart between the two young women. She seems to be following the conversation as well as possible for a dragon who is still learning how to comprehend the human tongue – Eko can understand Iza's thoughts just fine, but she seems to struggle with Iza's words. She is learning much quicker than Iza had expected, however. Her dragon is very intelligent.

Alise hums. "Yes, Eko…Is she responsible for all of this?"

Iza huffs, tossing a dirtied breast band into the basket. She has more soiled clothing than usual since part of her early mornings have been spent at the farms in the village, helping toil the ground and plant seeds. It is backbreaking work on top of her other responsibilities and her continued worry about Eko, but everyone in the village pulls their weight during planting season and the harvest. At least Iza does not have to lug buckets of water to and from the river like the younger men and boys. And now that she is no longer a child, she is not forced into taking care of squalling infants while their mothers work the land.

Still, all of her clothing, even what she is currently wearing, has certainly seen better – and cleaner – days.

To answer Alise's question, Iza mutters, "Her claws are…unique. Responsive to her mood. She cannot control it."

Alise's eyes flit between ashes, rubble, and charred wood. "What exactly happens?"

Iza makes a face at Alise's fascinated tone. "What doesn't? Things melt or burst into flame. She can break down metal and stone as easily as fabric and wood. And she is so frightened by it…"

Alise makes a low noise of understanding, a small hum in the back of her throat. "Well. Perhaps she needs a change of scenery."

Iza stops still at Alise's lazy suggestion. She turns her head to stare at her closest childhood friend. "Alise?"

Alise delicately lifts a shoulder. "Dragons are wild creatures, are they not? She has gone from a cave to a wooden house. I do not know what her natural habitat might be, but should she not be among nature? She might feel better."

Iza looks down at Eko and Eko looks up at her.

Truly, Iza has felt bad about keeping Eko confined – but what else is she to do? It is not as if Eko can roam freely, at least not yet. She is too young and Iza feels better at least knowing where Eko is at all times, even if it does mean she returns to a ruined home each day.

But Iza cannot ignore the flutter of excitement emanating from Eko. Her dragon, it seems, has learned enough to understand what Alise is proposing.

Faced with Eko's hope and Alise's inquisitive stare, Iza can only rub at her forehead and shoot a half-hearted glare at her friend. "I suppose you have an idea or two on how that might happen?"

Alise's lips turn upward at the corners. "Of course," she answers benignly.

And that is how Iza finds herself at their bathing place while the sun is still high in the sky, scrubbing at clothes with soap in her hair and watching as her dragon gleefully swims in the water. The water which is now pleasantly warm instead of slightly too cool due to Eko's sun-bright claws warming the water with every stroke.

Water, it seems, is the only thing that can hold up to Eko's devastating claws. But only just. Iza suspects that Eko's claws would eventually evaporate the water, if given enough time. But for now, Eko seems more content than she has been since she hatched and Iza can only send grateful looks to Alise for finding a solution.

Her dragon doesn't have to worry about destroying her surroundings in the water. It is a weight off both of them.

"It must have something to do with elements," Alise says after they have laid the wet clothing out on rocks and branches. Alice floats in the water, uncaring of her bare breasts facing the run, while Iza sinks down to her chin, occasionally flicking her fingers over the surface of the water.

Alise's words have drawn her out of a solemn contemplation. "Hmm?"

"Eko," Alise says by way of explanation. "Her claws are like fire, yes? Many dragons are tied to the elements, so fire must be Eko's."

"Ah," Iza says in realization. The thought had crossed her mind once or twice. All dragons she has ever seen has been limited to some kind of element – and she knows very well that not all dragon breath is made of heat. "I suppose you are right."

"Fire is a strong element. It burns the earth and feeds on air, but it cannot overcome water. The two elements are equals, you see," Alise says thoughtfully.

Somewhat ruefully, Iza mentally bemoans that she might have made the same connection sooner had she been able to qualify for the more advanced seidr teachings that Alise is still attending. But Iza's seidr is very weak and she had been excluded from lessons several years ago. She knows the basics, but her only gift was ever in learning Odin's runes, which she uses for the Eddas she writes. Alise, on the other hand, will likely be residing over passing along seidr knowledge to the younger generations once she is fully learned.

We all have our roles, Iza reflects. And anyway, Alise has never held Iza's normalcy over her head, probably because Alise is an outcast in her own way. That much knowing unnerves many people in the village. Alise may be respected as a gifted user of seidr, but she is excluded for other reasons; likewise, Iza's progressive ideals and the fact that she is a woman without magic mean that she is strange, but she still has her position as the Chieftain's daughter to earn respect.

Not for the first time, Iza thinks people are very strange and shallow to let such trivial things cement their opinions.

Imagine what the village would think if they found out about Eko. The thought almost makes her hysterical.

"Life is about the balancing of two opposing sides," Alise says after the silence has stretched and stretched. Her words seem to come from the depths of her chest, the tone deeper than Alise's normal musical lilt. It makes Iza sit up a bit more in the water and take notice.

"Alise?"

Alise's head turns toward her, eyes so round the white of them are visible all around the iris. Unblinking and fully dilated, Alise's eyes are black with only a faint ring of sea-grey around the sides. "You are needed."

Iza's heart lodges itself in her throat. "Alise, what are you-"

"You must go," Alise cuts her off, this time with some urgency. She blinks rapidly a few times, then rights herself in the water, ducking down beneath the surface before popping up with her jet hair plastered to the sides of her neck. "You are needed in the village – Mik will falter without your guidance, and we desperately need to make a trade."

"A trade?"

Alise just shakes her head. "You will know when you see it – don't let him get away, Iza. Now, go! Hurry before the ship docks-"

"What about Eko?" Iza demands, even as she hastily moves to follow Alise's orders.

At the sound of her name, Eko's head pops out of the water, her frills standing to attention as her eyes lock onto Iza's form while Iza stumbles to pull on a still-damp shift and a dyed cotton dress that looks more grey than blue. She runs her fingers through her hair, pulling at tangles with a wince even as she hops into her worn leather boots. Iza looks back and forth between Eko and Alise, severely torn between maternal duty and her recognition of what Alise's sudden advice truly is -

But Alise barely hesitates before she reaches over to tap Eko on the nose, shaking her head at Iza. "Do not worry about your bonded," Alise answers soothingly. "I will watch over her and return her to your home. Peace to your mind. Now, go!"

And Iza does, placing her full trust in Alise as she always has.

Alise has never let her down before. And if Alise thinks that it's more important Iza be in the village now than escorting her illicit dragon to the safety of her home – well.

Iza trusts Alise with more than just her life.

And that is why, still partially sodden, Iza rushes through the forest to the village as fast as her legs will carry her. It's a very good thing that she does, because she soon finds that Alise had been right once again.

Unfamiliar ships are pulling into the docks.

Iza only has one weary thought.

Vikings.

A/N: Uh-oh. Well, that escalated quickly. Oh wait, that meme is dead. Whatever.

Alright, there were a lot of questions last chapter about Thor's day, so that'll be our bit of Viking trivia for this chapter. From what I've read, the Vikings marked certain days by the Norse Gods on a seven - or eight - day rotation, and some of that has bled over into language evolution from Germanic and Slavic languages. So. Thor's day was a Thursday and the pagans would somehow honor Thor on that day. How did they celebrate Thor? Who knows? But for fun, Frigg's day was Friday and was a fun excuse to have lots of sex. So in the last chapter, when Edvard was like "it's been two Thor's days", he's basically saying it's been two weeks.

Alright. As always, be brutally honest. I can take it.

~Rae